Who Is My Neighbor?

Have you ever been robbed and left for dead on the side of the road? You might be surprised to know—I never have either.

Growing up in Sunday School and hearing the parables of Jesus, I remember thinking people were robbed and left for dead all the time. I believed it was only a matter of time before I came across such a person, and when I did, I knew exactly what to do. I planned to go to him, bind up his wounds, put him on my donkey, and deliver him to the innkeeper, who would be waiting.

As children, we tend to be concrete thinkers. As a concrete thinker, I never once saw the “certain man” from Jesus’ parable. But as I grew older and developed the ability to think abstractly, I began to see that my childhood expectations weren’t entirely off. We are, in fact, surrounded by those who have “fallen among thieves” of a different kind.

Then Jesus answered and said:
“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Likewise, a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’”
—Luke 10:30–35

Today, we face a mental health crisis. We are surrounded by people who have been robbed—of their identity, their self-worth, and their dignity. In the United States alone, it was estimated in 2013 that 28 million people needed treatment for substance abuse, yet fewer than 1 in 10 received it. Outside the U.S., the situation is even more dire: as many as 70–80% of individuals with mental health disorders receive no treatment at all. And when they do, it is often limited to medication, without the emotional support they truly need.

Indian psychiatrist and researcher Vikram Patel, known for his work in low-resource settings, has pointed out that even in developing countries, mental health treatment has often been reduced to clinical intervention. Rather than addressing underlying emotional distress, patients are diagnosed with a disorder and prescribed medication.

Unfortunately, Christians sometimes view scriptural guidance for mental health as secondary to the opinions of licensed professionals. We may leave the emotionally wounded “to the professionals.” Let me be clear: biblical principles are not a substitute for medication or professional advice. I do not intend to discourage anyone from following such guidance. But there is still much that believers can do to address emotional suffering.

The Bystander Effect

A study by Bibb Latané and John Darley in the late 1960s, called the Bystander Effect, reveals that people are less likely to intervene in an emergency when others are present. Witnesses may assume someone else will respond, or interpret the situation as less serious based on others’ reactions. Inaction can leave a victim without help—sometimes at the cost of their life.

Christians can fall into the same pattern. Like the priest and the Levite in Jesus’ story, perhaps we fear the situation will be messy, or that we’ll make things worse. Maybe we worry we won’t remember the right scriptures, or we’re afraid of offering the wrong advice.

But in matters of life and death, doing something is better than doing nothing. Regarding CPR for cardiac arrest victims, the Mayo Clinic advises, “It’s far better to do something than to do nothing.” (Edward E. Moody, First Aid for Emotional Hurts)

Grief, trauma, depression, stress, loneliness, self-harm, and anxiety surround us. The world is full of people lying, metaphorically, on the side of the road—wounded and waiting.

In the parable, Jesus returned the lawyer’s question back to him:
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” (Luke 10:36)

Then Jesus said,